Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Swaziland instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 7.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Swaziland spends $922 as of 2023.
have 68.3% more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Swaziland has 5.6 as of 2023.
be 58.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 23.4% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 29.6% of people as of 2024.
be 5.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 27.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 76.7% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $4,108 as of 2025.
be 28.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Swaziland, that number is 34.2% as of 2025.
be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Swaziland, however, that number is 53.5% as of 2023.
Life
be 20.0% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Swaziland, it is 90.8% as of 2022.
have 13.0% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 23.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 55.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 27.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Swaziland, on the other hand, 42.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 86% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 16.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.9 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Swaziland spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 5.6 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 50.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Swaziland, they kill 24.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 16.2 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Swaziland withdraws 78% as of 2022.
use 27.9% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 73.7% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Swaziland
Swaziland: At a glance
How big is Swaziland compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.